Method of insulating buildings



Jan. 3, 1928.

Original Filed Sept,

Patented Jan. 3, 1928.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD S. ASHENHURST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISfASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO INSULEX CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF DELA-WARE.

METHOD OF INSULATING BUILDINGS.

Application filed September 10, 1924, Serial No. 736,893. Renewed March.21, 1927.

My invention relates to a process for insulating and fireproofing thewalls of buildings, and has for one ofits objects the provision of a newand improved process by which the insulation is prepared in the field,that is, at 'a point adjacent to the walls to be insulated. By this Iintend to distinguish from aprocess in which the insulation is preparedin a distant factory, and ther after dried and shipped or transported tothe place of use.

One of the objections to the method last described is that whereinsulating blocks composed of cementitious material are manufactured forshipment to theplace of use, such blocks must be fully dried in order toeliminate the excess weight of water before shipment and this requirestime and space within which the drying is to take place. By my processthis iseliminated,'- as the insulating blocks are formed on the job, andmay be immediately-placed in position, the drying taking placethereafter. This has other advantages-also in that the blocks may beformed in the necessary shapes and sizes while the material is stillsoft, thus avoiding the necessity for sawing.

One of the important advantages in the use of a method by which theblocks are producedat the point of use is the elimination of breakagethat results from handling and shipping. This element of breakage adds adefinite and substantial item to the cost of production and iseliminated by my improved process.

flagration; it is substantially non-hygroscopic and is, therefore,suitable for walls of all kinds'of buildings. material of which theinsulating blocks are composed provides an ideal plaster surface, thisfor several reasons. One reason is that the surface is composed largelyof open cells such as those which appear throughout the body of thematerial and these cells provide an ideal key for the plaster.

The invention will be more readily understood by re'ference to theaccompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a temporary form with a quantity of theblock- -forming material therein I provide at a point adjacent to thewall to be insulated, a plane horizontal surface, such as a floor 9, andplace thereon side members 10, 11, 12 and 13, thereby defining ashallow. rectangular, open-top space, the

lVhen in place the depth of the side members being preferably equal tothe thickness of the blocks to be formed. I then place in the bottom ofthe space a strip of building paper 14., and pour thereon a plastic masscomposed of gypsum as the major ingredient, and chemicals that in thepresence of water will evolve a gas and cause the expansion of the mass.When the water is added the body becomes cellular throughout. A type ofmaterials adapted for use for forming this mass is set forth in my priorpatent, reissued as No. 15,952, on November 25, 1924. Iwish itdistinctly un derstood, however, that I contemplate the employment ofany material by means of w'luch a quick setting, light-weight block maybe formed.

When the material has risen and before setting is completed, I mayprefer to level ened and made more dense. I do not, however, wish toclaim by this application either the method of screeding or troweling asabove set forth nor the product produced by the practise of that method,since such subject matters are disclosed and claimed by my LettersPatent No. 1,613,639, granted January 11, 1927, and my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 736,892, filed September 10, 1924.

Shortly after the initial setting takes place, which occurs within orminutes after pouring, and while the material is still relatively softand Wet, I subdivide the large block along the lines 15, into aplurality of 1 smaller blocks 15, of the desired size and shape. This iseasily accomplished by em ploying a straight-edge and a thin blade thatwill pass through the cellular material and the paper at the bottomthereof. Thereafter I remove one or more of the side members, preferablythe member 13, and lift the adjacent block fromits position. The paperding and the paper.

14, adheres strongly to the block and serves as areinforcement. It willbe understood that at this time the block is relatively soft, andwithout suflicient rigidity to resist any substantial shocks or strains.

Immediately thereafter, if desired, the blocks may be placed in a walland in the drawing I have illustrated a plurality of studs 16, the spacebetween which will preferably correspond to the width of the blocks. Theblocks are removed from the adjacent mold and placed in superposedrelation to complete the wall to the desired height. Preferably theblocks are placed in position against a wall or sheathing with theadhering paper outside. Thereafter a quantity of cement or plaster isforcibly thrown into the corners and will strongly adhere to thestudlhis cement is indicated at 17.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a wall having an outer sheathing 18.suitably secured to the studding and theinsulating blocks are placedagainst this .whl-l with the paper backing on the exposed side. Ofcourse. if desired, blocks may be formed of such thickness as tocompletely fill the space between the studding. but for ordinarypurposes this. will be found unnecessary.

If it be desired to provide a wall to which plaster may be applied. theblocks, indicated at 15 in Fig. 4, are so placed that a surface otherthan the surface covered by the paper is placed flush of the wall.

emme with the surface of the studding. If strips of metal lath 19 aretacked to the studding, plaster 20 may readily be applied to theentiresurface.

In Fig. 3 a construction is shown in which the outer sheathing orcovering has not been applied. However, metal lath, indicated at 19, hasbeen applied to the inner surface of the studding and the blocks 15 areplaced 'thereagainst. It will be understood that the open side of thewall will be completed in any, desired manner.

While I have shown a Wall having studs between which the blocks arereceived, it will be understood that-I contemplate the insulation of awall in the described manner regardless of the structuralcharacteristics It is practical in some instances to build the wallwithout studding, merely placing the blocks in proper relation, one uponanother. It is also possible to construct a Wall having relativelynarrow studding and to completely imbed the studding in the blocks byshaping the blocks around the studding l in the process of. building.Such construction is claimed in a copending application Serial No.736,891, filed September 10. 1924. It will be understood that while Ihave illustrated a method by which the blocks are formed by subdividinga largerv block that is cast in the field, a desirable result might besecured by separately casting blocks in the field in the describedmanner.

The blocks formed as described and a sound proof wall composed of theso-formcd blocks, are the subjects of copending appli- -cations.forpatent Serial No. 12,882, filed March 3, 1925, as a division of thisapplication, and Serial No. 736.891, filed September 10. 1924,respectively, and are not specifically claimed herein.

I have obtained very ood results in the practise of this invention bythe use of the materials as set forth in my Reissue Letters vPatent No.15,952. the same being prepared by mixture on the job with sufficientwater for making a free flowing paste, such materials comprising 100poundsof calcined gyp sum, 2 ounces of commercial retarder, 3 pounds ofa suitable carbonate, such as calcium carbonate, and 8 pounds ofaluminum sulphate containihg water of crystallization, all of suchingredients being finely ground and thoroughly mixed in a. dry state.

By the use of my invention, the cost of manufacture of the blocks isvery materially reduced. eliminating the trouble and expense of dryingand storing the blocks which are placed immediately in the wall aftertheir formation. cutting down the freight charges materially. preventingbreakage "of the blocks. eliminating the necessity for sawing the blocksand very materially assisting in the proper fitting of the blocks inlit) 1. The method of making insulating" blocks in the field, whichconsists in providing an open top space, then pouring thereinto aplastic mass that will expand to substantially fill said space, thensubdividing the material after it has expanded and set, then immediatelyapplying the subdivisions to a wall.

2. The method of forming insulation blocks in the field, which consistsin providing a horizontal plane surface, and side members defining anopen top space, then casting therein a quantity of plastic material thatwill expand and set, then permitting said material to expand tosubstantially the height of the side members, then subdividing theexpanded material after it has set, then immediately applying thesections to a wall.

3. The method of insulating the walls of a building, which consists incasting a section of cellular material, then subdividing said sectionbefore the material thereof is dry then immediately applying thesubdivisions between the structural elements of the building.

l. The method of insulating buildings, which consists in providing arelatively large, shallow, open top space, pouring thereinto a plasticmass that will expand and set to form a cellular material, then cuttingsaid cellular material before it is dry and immediately applying theseparate sections between structural elements of a building.

5. The method of insulating a building wall, which consists in providinga molding space and delivering thereinto a, quantity suflicient tosubstantially fill said mold, of a material that will expand and set,the dimensions of a finishedfsection of said finished material beingsuch as'to require the section to be forced between the structuralelements of said wall, said sections being removed from the mold andapplied to the wall before the material composing the sec-.

said walls.

7. The method of insulating a building wall, which consists in castingin the field a. section of cellular material composed of a substancethat will set, then removing the cast section before final'setting hastaken place and applying the section between the structural elements ofa building while the material composing the section is relatively softand yielding and permitting final setting to take place in its ultimateposition.

8. The method of insulating a building wall,which consists in casting arelatively large section of cellular material adapted to set, the depthof the section being equal to the thickness of the insulating blocks tobe formed, then subdividing said section to provide a plurality ofblocks of a size to fit snugly between the structural elements of abuilding,the subdividing being done while the material is still wet,then immediately applying the subdivisions to the said wall andpermitting the final setting to take place with the material in itsultimate position.

'9. The method of making a wall, which consists in applying to a supporta plastic block of porous insulating composition immediately-after ithasexpanded. and set from the molding operation.

10; The method of making a wall, which consists in casting a plasticbody that will expand and set to form a porous block of insulatinmaterial in the field, then applying said lock to said wall immediatelyafter the material has expanded and set.

11. The method of. insulating buildings, whichcomprises the step ofapplying to a support a block of insulating material while still plasticafter the operation of molding ter the operation of molding it.

13; The method of'insulating buildings, which comprises fitting togetherin a wall a plurality of blocks of insulating material while stillplastic after the operation of molding them. I V I y '14. The method ofinsulating buildin s, which comprises the steps of forming bloc of lightporous insulating material by'a molding operation in contact withreinforcing members, and then placing such blocks in a wall formationwhile still plastic after the molding operation.

tion for final setting in rigid relation to the Signed at Chicago,Illinois, this 3rd-day of September, 1924.

HAROLD S. ASHENHURST.

